Informal Proposal
Instructions Hide
Below I have attached an example for what
the proposal should look like and how it should be. Base the one you
write off that one below.
BELOW IS THE TOPIC AND IDEA THAT WE HAVE. WRITE THE PROPOSAL WITH THIS AS THE TOPIC OF BASIS.
Dear Dr. Kelly Robinson, Manager of Student Accessibility Services
Accessible pathways are important to a wide range of people, especially
those with a physical disability, as these paths create safe and secure
methods of travel for commuting residents and guests. The Ithaca College
main campus is situated on a hill, so these pathways are vital to those
who may be unable to climb stairways and are looking for a safe,
reliable way to travel. Safety is an issue that Ithaca College takes
very seriously, and within this lies a great opportunity to both improve
safety and inclusion and give the campus a greater appeal towards a
wider audience of prospective students. Ithaca College has done much to
improve the wellbeing of its students and faculty by providing
accessible pathways and ramps for those with a physical disability, but
there is room to do so much more.
As it is now, there are only a few ramps on campus that allow those who
cannot travel by stair access to key locations at Ithaca. The easy path
to walk is to ignore those who the college can aid and keep things as
they are now. Ithaca College has not seen any drastic consequences for
this gap in accessibility, other than some warnings, therefor to change
such ways is not of great importance. Beyond this, there are also areas
on campus that can be dangerous to traverse during certain times of day
or during inclimate weather. Rather than avoid these problems, we can
build on the strengths of our students body and reinforce the idea that
ithaca College is an inclusive space for all. With the addition of a few
ramps in key locations and the development of a sidewalk that better
connects the Circle Apartments to campus, students and faculty can focus
less on potential obstacles, and more on maximizing their academic
potential.
Background
In an article published by The Ithacan in 2017, Borruto goes on to
explain how Ithaca College was under investigation by the U.S Department
of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in 2009. “The OCR delivered a
resolution to the college in 2015 following an investigation into a
confidential complaint of inaccessibility against the college filed in
2009” (Borruto 2017). Within that report were four allegations that had
campus-wide reach, from handicap-accessible parking spaces to curb ramps
that connected to Williams Hall. After this investigation was
concluded, the college affirmed that they would make changes to the
campus in compliance with the pressure set on them by the OCR. Since
then the college has seen multiple new handicap-accessible parking
spaces created, ramps and lifts to the dining halls, and numerous
accessible entrances to Williams Hall. Though the college compiled and
restructured the campus to better improve access to these areas, they
have opened themselves up to repeat past mistakes.
Since the 2015 investigation, Ithaca College has set in motion numerous
small improvements to the campus over time that have better supported
those with a need for accessibility. Due to there being ramps in a few
locations and means of entry to each major dining area, the campus can
skirt by as it is and appear to the outside public as an accessible
college campus. Supporting the minimum standard can only last so long as
it may only be a matter a time before another confidential complaint is
filed to the OCR again. The Ithaca College that we broadcast and sell
to our prospective students is a college that stands out above the rest
because of its uniqueness and desire to cater and foster a community
that is diverse and inclusive. For those who are considered outcasts or
those with disabilities not cared for by others, Ithaca College can
appear to be a safe haven where they can confide themselves in. Arriving
to campus and surveying its layout in person, may sadly convey a
different image and rip that hope away from a prospective student or
faculty member.
As the the college stands now, there are multiple areas where
improvements can be made to better advance the welfare of students and
faculty with or without disability. The college has the ability to
surpass expectation by not only updating the campus to be more
accessible, but to also expand the infrastructure of its pathways to aid
in safety. The level of which the college can take advantage of this
opportunity is expansive, with more attention providing even greater
reward. The changes that can be made to Ithaca College are within budget
and certainly within the values that Ithaca College strive to uphold
and broadcast to its prospective students and community. By supporting a
sidewalk from the Circle Apartments
WIthout getting too complicated, the basic costs and information that
you need to know is the type of material. Also, having an idea the
distance that you would use the material for, which would be usage.
Knowing the Vendor, which is where the material comes from is important
because that reflects the unit price. The unit price is how much is
being paid for the material, which the vendor determines the cost of.
Additionally, knowing the equipment type, how many hours it will be used
and the cost per hour shows what will be used to build and design the
bridge. Lastly, knowing the different types of people that would need to
be hired, the length they would need to work and their hourly wage
helps determine how much would the installation of the ramp is. To
stress below is a hypothetical example, to explain the main points that
need to be considered when designing a ramp. If you would like more
information the appendices has a more thorough budget.
Material Description
Usage
Vendor
Unit Price
Equipment (Type, duration, Cost,
Labor to Install (Worker, Hours, Cost)
Concrete
5-cubic yards
Ace Concrete
$100.00 per cubic yard
Backhoe
4 hours
$50.00 per hour
Excavator
6 hours
$75.00 per hour
Equipment Operator
20 Hours
$65.00 per hour
Laborer
60 hours
$55.00 per hour
Cement Masons
$75.00 per hour
Carpenter
$70.00 per hour